Transcript BIOMES
BIOMES If a friend asked you, “Where do you live?” you would give them your street address. But what if someone asked you to describe the BIOME that you live in. What would you say? Do you know your ecological address? Learning Targets Define the major biomes of North America Recognize the most common plants and animals in your community Understand that there are predictable relationships between the different biomes in North America Biome a large scale community of plants and animals. Biomes are dependent on both climate and the physical environment. There are a number of different biomes that occur in North America Climate the long-term average temperature and rainfall (precipitation) in a region, and the daily, weekly and yearly range in temperature. Climate factors Frequency of rainfall (does it rain often in small amounts, or less often in large amounts). Timing of temperature and precipitation (wet and warm, or wet and cold?) Wind speed and direction, cloud cover, humidity, and seasonal storms (hurricanes and typhoons). The most sensitive indicator of climate is vegetation. Vegetation helps classify climates. Ecology The term ecology is the study of the interrelationship between organisms and their environment. The largest entity studied in ecology is the ecosystem. Ecosystems the physical and chemical environment and all living organisms within it (biological processes). can be as large as a biosphere, or as small as a puddle at your feet. Abiotic factors “a” = without “bio” = life Non-living things Wind, rain, soil quality, light, temperature Biotic factors Living Insects, birds, animals, plants Habitat the local environment in which an organism lives. Ecosystems involve a number of different distinct habitats. Most habitats are occupied by several organisms. Population and Community Each species of individual organisms is called a population. A population of two or more species in a given habitat is called a community. There may be more than one community in a given ecosystem. Matter and Energy The interactions between organisms in an ecosystem are viewed in terms of flows of matter and energy. This system is called a food chain, or food web (to show the complexity). Food Chains and Webs Organic compounds are synthesized from the environment by producers (photosynthesizing plants). The producers are consumed by plant eating animals (herbivores). Some of the herbivores are consumed by carnivores (or omnivores). Other elements in the ecosystem are parasites, which feed on living organisms without killing them, and scavengers, which feed on dead organisms. The tissues of producers, herbivores and carnivores are broken down by decomposers (usually bacteria). Ecological Pyramid Symbiosis Mutualism – both species benefit Parasitism – one species benefits while the other is harmed Commensalism – one species benefits while the other is unaware Adaptation and Evolution Although many kinds of plants and animals do have a range of climate tolerances, others do not. For example, there are many plants and animals that are not well suited to survive long, cold winters. Many organisms have evolved, or adapted, to new climates and environments.